About

In 1926, the citizens of Medicine Lodge, Kansas, decided to celebrate the historic 1867 Peace Treaties signed on the banks of the Medicine River, between the five Plains tribes and the U.S. government.

‘Spirit of the Prairie’ captures life in rural Kansas, pulling readers into tales of tragedy and triumph as Medicine Lodge prepares for the massive undertaking, now the second longest continuously running performance of its kind in the United States.

2015 marks the 24th presentation of the world famous Medicine Lodge Indian Peace Treaty Pageant.

“Probably the thought uppermost in the minds of the oldtimers who will attend the Medicine Lodge celebration … will center around the unbelievable changes in the scenes … But the change that is most remarkable is not that from pony to piston. It is a change in the minds of men.” Wichita Eagle, 1927

“In ‘Spirit of the Prairie’, Marcia Lawrence provides a fascinating historical review of eighteen months in a small Kansas community as Medicine Lodge prepares for its first Peace Treaty Pageant in 1927. Included are stories of a brutal tornado which killed three and peeled sod from the earth; chicken thievery; an arrest for concubinage; and a pair of bank robbers who were pursued by a posse of hundreds of citizens, some armed with Civil War weapons. These stories and many more give the reader a satisfying sense of the life and times in small-town Kansas in the 1920s.” Cheryl Unruh, Author of ‘Flyover People’ and ‘Waiting on the Sky’

Want to order a copy of “Spirit of the Prairie”?

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About the Author

Born and raised in Barber County, Kansas, Marcia Lawrence has worked as a journalist, photo-finish photographer, stockbroker, editor, corn detasseler, musician, and mom. She is a lifelong scholar of regional history and a passionate researcher. She lives in Emporia, Kansas.